Athletics Australia – News – Spears to soar in Adelaide

Do not miss the women's javelin at the Adelaide Track Classic this Saturday 15 February, with the field boasting three Australian athletes who are ranked in the top-ten in the world.

Headlined by IAAF World Championships silver medallist and 2013 Female Athlete of the Year Kim Mickle (WA), the entry list also includes London 2012 finalist Kathryn Mitchell (Vic) and emerging talent Kelsey–Lee Roberts (ACT), who threw a Commonwealth Games ‘A' Standard of 63.92m at the ACT Athletics Championships this past weekend.

Roberts' performance in Canberra (ACT) would have seen her edge out Mitchell for 5th in the women's javelin final at last year's IAAF World Championships, and, when most recent performances are used, the trio of Mickle, Roberts and Mitchell sit 1st, 3rd and 4th in the Commonwealth based on 2013 rankings. 

"I took a gamble last year and decided to knock back my selection to the World University Games and instead stay here in Australia and focus on building my strength and technique for this season. It's so rewarding to see that I made the right decision and I'm so excited about what 2014 might bring," Roberts said.

"To throw a big personal best on the weekend at home in Canberra was amazing. I was obviously looking to hit the 61-metre mark to make sure that I had the ‘A' Standard for Glasgow, so when the board lit up at 63 metres plus it was pretty special. I knew that I was capable of a throw that big, but I didn't think it would happen this early in the season. 

"The best thing about the javelin in Australia at the moment is how strong the event is. Kim (Mickle) and Kathryn (Mitchell) are world-class athletes that compete alongside me here at home and that sort of rivalry here in Australia will do none of us any harm when we decide to head away and throw overseas later on in the year." 

Not to be outdone, the women's pole vault is also shaping into a tough race for the Australian title, with the reigning Commonwealth Games champion Alana Boyd (Qld) perhaps the early favourite thanks to her season best and Commonwealth Games ‘A' Standard of 4.50m just two weeks ago.

Competing off a full approach for only the second time this year at the Adelaide Track Classic, the Oceania and Australian record holder Boyd, who was forced to withdraw from the 2013 IAAF World Championships, is looking forward to returning to Santos Stadium, where she has jumped strongly in recent years. 

"I'm on track. I wanted a qualifier out early and I've done that off what was a short run up which is great," Boyd said.

"Choosing to have surgery last year and miss the World Championships was very disappointing, but in hindsight it was the right decision to skip Moscow, get the body right and make a cautious and measured return to training for this year. I'm still doing some of my sessions in runners rather than spikes, and have been working with a short approach until now. My first competition off a full run will be tomorrow at a Rare Air Club event in Melbourne before doing the same thing in Adelaide on the weekend. I'm very much looking forward to it."

On track, Olympic 100m hurdles champion Sally Pearson (Qld) will compete in the women's 100m and 200m as she continues her preparation for the IAAF World Indoor Championships next month, while the men's 800m will see Australian Flame Joshua Ralph (NSW) and Alex Rowe (Vic) duel.

Ralph has made the transition up to the two-lap event after being selected to compete, but not running, in the men's 4x400m relay at the IAAF World Championships last year, with his hard work rewarded by a Commonwealth Games ‘B' Standard of 1:47.60 at the Zatopek:10 in December.

Rowe, meanwhile, made the men's 800m semi-final at Moscow 2013 last year, with his season also including a new personal best of 1:45.44 and his first open age national title. He will compete in Adelaide after running a new 1500m personal best of 3:46.16 at the Briggs Athletics Classic earlier this month.

"I was very happy with my run in Hobart. It was one of those races where I never felt comfortable with how it was going, but I had the mental capacity to stick with the leaders and come away with a PB at the end of it. It was a good start to my season, and a good boost ahead of having a crack at my preferred 800m this weekend," Rowe said.

"Obviously you always have the Commonwealth Games qualifier in the back of your mind, and if conditions are right on Saturday night then I will be having a red-hot crack at dropping a time that brings me into the mix for Glasgow. I'm not injured and I have been training well so there is a real possibility that my form should be pretty good.

"The 800m this season is going to be pretty competitive. You've already got Josh (Ralph) with a qualifier from the Zatopek late last year and we will see Jeff (Riseley) and James (Gurr) back soon too. Josh was my roommate in Moscow last year and I've been keeping an eye on his results to see how he is progressing. It's great to see that he's transitioned to the 800m so well and so quickly.

"Last year I finished my season with an Australian uniform and a new PB of 1:45.40. I want to make sure that I improve that time again this year, I want the time to read 1:44 something and if I can do that then I have had a good season."

The Adelaide Track Classic is the last National Athletics Series event before the Australian Athletics Tour thrills fans of track and field in Perth (22 February), Sydney (15 March) and Melbourne (22 March) in the coming weeks.

The South Australian capital has played host to a National Athletics Series event for the past three years, with the National Athletics Series returning to the city for the first time in seven years in 2012.

For more information on the National Athletics Series, incorporating the Australian Athletics Tour, please click here

Please click here to view the current timetable and entry lists for the Adelaide Track Classic.

Tickets to the event start at $5 and can be purchased through Ticketek or at the gate from 4:00pm CDST.

 

 Athletics Australia – News